Gabrielle Russon
Mable Butler, a fierce advocate and trailblazer who became the first Black woman elected to both the Orlando City Council and the Orange County Commission, has died at age 98.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and other city leaders remembered her legacy as the news broke over the weekend of her death following an illness.
“With the passing of Commissioner Mable Butler, Orlando has lost a legendary community leader,” Dyer wrote on X. “Commissioner Butler will be incredibly missed, but leaves a lasting legacy.”
A social worker and political activist, Butler decided to run for office. She had a reputation for being blunt and wasn’t afraid of confrontation or using what the Orlando Sentinel called salty language.
“May those who love us, love us,” Butler once said publicly, according to a Sentinel profile. “And those that don’t love us, may God change their hearts. And if he doesn’t change their hearts, may he sprain their ankle so we will know them by their limp.”
Before she won office herself, Butler was a key operative in Bob Graham’s two gubernatorial races and Bill Frederick’s first mayoral campaign.
She got elected to the City Council in 1984 and served until 1990, where she earned the nickname “Momma Commissioner.” Butler was also the first Black person elected to the Orange County Commission from 1990 to 1998.
“Momma Commissioner Mable Butler didn’t just break barriers — she shattered ceilings,” wrote Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose on Facebook. “She paved the way for generations to come, A true trailblazer whose legacy still and will forever inspire!”
During her tenure in public office, Butler fought for increased representation of Black people in city government, supported more affordable housing, and pushed for better enforcement of blight and property issues to reduce crime.
She was known for getting things done.
“Her primary goal was to empower district residents with a belief they themselves can demand more from local government,” the Sentinel wrote in a 1998 profile.
Butler also helped bring the Florida Classic football game between Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman College to Orlando.
In addition to her toughness, many said Butler stood out for her kindness and compassion.
She suffered tremendous loss in her life — including a son dying from AIDS in 1989, followed by her husband’s death from cancer less than two months later.
Butler’s faith and inner strength were inspiring, several said.
“Mable Butler is one of the most remarkable people we will ever know,” said then-Orange County Chair Linda Chapin in one Sentinel story. “She is better at loving than anybody.”
In 1994, the city honored Butler by renaming the street where she lived.
